MLB’s hot stove season is almost over. The Padres have landed Manny Machado, but who will bag Bryce Haper? Read all of The Ringer’s coverage on the the MLB offseason below.
-
March 28, 2019
Bryce Harper’s Unholy Baseball Trinity
The Philadelphia Phillies’ new $330 million man is a rare breed: a true baseball celebrity. He’s also the protagonist, and the antagonist, and the agent of chaos in his own story.
-
March 25, 2019
What Does This Spate of MLB Extensions Mean for Baseball?
From Mike Trout to Justin Verlander to a few top prospects, it seems like every talented player is getting locked up by his team. Is it a real trend? Does it say anything about the state of labor?
-
March 19, 2019
Mike Trout Isn’t Worth $430 Million—He’s Worth Much More
The extension the center fielder is reportedly close to finalizing with the Angels will shatter records, but it doesn’t come close to compensating him appropriately for his on-field performance
-
March 19, 2019
The Angels Are Finally Set Up to Stop Wasting Mike Trout
Los Angeles’s decade has been defined by playoff misses, but with reinforcements coming—and some difficult decisions looming for the Angels’ biggest rival—the 2020s suddenly look bright for the team and its $430 million man
-
March 19, 2019
Mike Trout Chooses Familiarity With a New $430 Million Contract
The 27-year-old outfielder is reportedly finalizing the largest contract in professional sports history, which would ensure the greatest young player ever would remain with the Angels for a long time
-
March 5, 2019
The Braves Are Already Playing Catch-up Again
With the other NL East contenders making moves, defending champion Atlanta needs help keeping up, and the Braves will only go as far as their young pitching staff can take them in 2019
-
March 4, 2019
The Yankees Still Think They’re a Death Star. But They’re Not Acting Like One.
If the Bombers won’t embrace their destiny and splurge like the richest and most powerful team in the galaxy, where does that leave the rest of the sport?
-
February 28, 2019
With Bryce Harper in Philly, the NL East Race Just Got Really Good
Two teams in the division added three All-Stars this offseason. The team that just lost Harper could be better this year. The defending division champs are set to get a full season from a few of their young stars. One thing is clear: It won’t be fun for the Marlins.
-
February 28, 2019
The Phillies Threatened to Spend “Stupid” Money. But Bryce Harper’s Megadeal Is Damn Smart.
Getting sticker shock from the 13-year, $330 million contract is perfectly reasonable—and so is the math and the logic behind Philadelphia’s big-money bet
-
February 28, 2019
The Ripple Effect of Bryce Harper’s Record-Setting Phillies Contract
What does the right fielder’s 13-year, $330 million deal with Philadelphia mean for the teams that failed to sign him, impending mammoth free agents like Mike Trout and Mookie Betts, the MLB market as a whole, and poor Smash Mouth?
-
February 26, 2019
Nolan Arenado’s Record Deal Is a Win for Both Him and the Rockies
The 27-year-old third baseman has reportedly agreed to a new, $260 million contract with the highest per-year salary for a position player in MLB history, ensuring he’ll play in Coors Field for many MVP-contending seasons to come
-
February 26, 2019
The Reds’ Nonconformist Rebuild Is One of Baseball’s Coolest Experiments
In an age when the so-called "smart" teams are thinking about controlling costs years in advance, Cincinnati bucked the system in one quiet and quick offseason. Even if it doesn’t work, it’s bound to be fun.
-
February 20, 2019
Manny Machado Won’t Join the Chicago White Sox on Their Road to Nowhere
The South Siders mortgaged their future for an opportunity to land a marquee free agent. Missing out on Manny Machado is a disaster for a team that has little to show for its tanking efforts.
-
February 19, 2019
Manny Machado Is a San Diego Padre. All It Took Was $300 Million.
Michael, Ben, and Zach break down the biggest free-agent signing of the offseason and what it means for the future of the Padres
-
February 19, 2019
Meet the Padres, the Next Great Threat to the Dodgers
Tuesday’s news that San Diego has reportedly agreed to a deal with Manny Machado may have seemed out of character for the NL West also-rans, but the star infielder will augment a talented young roster that’s set for some big-time call-ups
-
February 19, 2019
Manny Machado’s Record Contract Is How MLB Free Agency Is Supposed to Work
After building from within, the Padres spent big for a player they couldn’t develop themselves. That’s the point. Unfortunately for fans and dozens of other free agents who took suboptimal deals or remain unsigned, many teams seem to have forgotten this.
-
February 19, 2019
We Promise the Manny Machado–Padres Marriage Is a Good Thing
It might seem odd to celebrate the fact that the second-losingest franchise of the decade has won the Machado sweepstakes with a record 10-year, $300 million free-agent deal, but the future is bright in San Diego
-
February 7, 2019
The Phillies Got Fleeced for J.T. Realmuto. If They Don’t Sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, They Failed.
Philadelphia landed the best catcher in baseball, but at a cost no other team seemed willing to pay. When ownership said the team "might even be a little bit stupid," this isn’t what fans expected.
-
January 23, 2019
Masters of Some: The Rise of Superutility MLB Players
As bullpens swell and benches shrink, teams are looking for more productive players who moonlight at many positions—not just by necessity, but by design
-
January 22, 2019
There’s No Excuse for the Dodgers’ Disappointing Offseason
L.A.’s decision to trade Yasiel Puig didn’t make sense, and nothing the team has done since has, either. It’s not too late to sign Bryce Harper, trade for Corey Kluber, and fix this strangeness, but at the moment, the Dodgers seem content not to improve.
-
January 18, 2019
Will the Bryce Harper–Manny Machado Sweepstakes Ever End?
Two superstar free agents entering the prime of their career remain unsigned, and we’re running out of ways to explain why Major League Baseball’s hot stove is so lukewarm
-
January 16, 2019
The Big, Beefy Yankees Just Got Bigger—but Will It Matter?
After signing DJ LeMahieu, New York could run out the tallest individual lineup ever this season. But with diminutive sluggers like Mookie Betts cleaning up at the plate, there may not be as much correlation between big batters and big bats as there has been in the past.
-
January 14, 2019
Baseball Is Broken. Can Anything Short of a Strike Fix It?
Manny Machado and Bryce Harper remain unsigned. One of the sport’s best catchers had to settle for a one-year deal. Kyler Murray might play another sport if he can’t get paid. Only the players can fix this, but to do so, they’ll have to risk a work stoppage they’re not currently prepared to win.
-
January 10, 2019
No Team Should Be Worried About Overpaying Manny Machado or Bryce Harper
The young free agents are among the most valuable players ever to hit the market at such an early age. So why aren’t franchises trying harder to sign them?
-
January 8, 2019
Long, Cold Winter: MLB Free Agency Is Still Disturbingly Slow
For the second straight offseason, signings are coming at a glacial pace. If Bryce Harper and Manny Machado can’t thaw the market, it’s fair to wonder whether anyone can.